Timothy to Hebrews - The Preterist Archive

328 Hebrews II. 5-18.
above, not beneath his worts, chiefly as the distributor of life
and the Saviour, above that nature which is fallen by sin, and is
subject to death (in which view the resurrection of Christ, the firstfruits,
forms the centre point of all miracles),—and sirjns of faith
which, in miracles, learns and exercises humility. It is, moreover,
worthy of observation, that this very passage which ascribes to miracles
the humble function implied in the word aweTniiapTvpelv, furnishes
a j^f'^ncijml 'proof of the historical reality of the miracles,
and, with this, of the supernatural character of Christianity in general.
A man who wrote before the year 70, speaks of miracles, even
where he docs not give them a high place, as of well-known and
undisputed facts !
Miracles may be regarded in a fourfold aspect, first, with respect
to their design as OTjfma (ri's), signs, miraculous testimonies in behalf
of any truth ;
secondly, with respect to their nature as rtpara
(no'itt), i. e. supernatural acts ;
thirdly, with respect to their origin
as acts of power (dvva/ietf), because wrought by higher powers ;
and
finally, in their specifically Christian aspect as im partings of the
Holy Ghost {jrvtviiaTO(; dyiov iiepiaiwi), as exercised by those who,
according to the will and wise distribution of God, are endowed with
the particular gifts of miracles (comp. 1 Cor. xii. 11).
SECTION
SECOND.
IN THE SON MAN IS
RAISED ABOVE THE ANGELS.
(ii. 5-18.)
In the first section it was shewn, that already the Old Testament
points to a future absolute revelation of God to man, a revelation
through a Mediator, by whom man should enter into immediate
contact with God, and God with man, and that this })redicted revelation
of God is, even in the Old Testament, placed liiglior than that
which was giveji through the mediation of angels.
It was therefore
the dignity of the Son as such, his person and office, that was first
spoken of
In the second section, on wliich we now enter, the one idea
already im])licitly contained in the first section (i. 8, 9), namely,
that in the Son, 7nan is immediately exalted to a union with God
such as belongs not to the angels, is taken up and independently
carried out. Here again, the 5th verse, which contains the new
theme, is connected by means of the conjunction yap with the con-